


Paterfamilias

by Rose_Milburn



Series: The AU life of Ivan Xav Vorpatril [12]
Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Dealing with bullying, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Ivan being a Da, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22821931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_Milburn/pseuds/Rose_Milburn
Summary: Ivan being a Da
Series: The AU life of Ivan Xav Vorpatril [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1001307
Comments: 31
Kudos: 61





	Paterfamilias

Count Ivan Vorpatril Voralys looked up as Armsman Price entered the room. Shouldn’t Price be on the school run? Ivan glanced at the chrono on the fireplace mantel. No, it was home time already. Where had the time gone? He’d been wrestling with what he wanted to say in his speech to the Council, although _wanted_ wasn’t the right word. He wanted nothing to do with his cousin’s new bill, but when had that ever stopped Miles? Ivan was glad to throw his stylus down in disgust. Price looked worried.

“Yes, Price, what’s happened? You’re not bringing me good news, obviously.”

Price drew himself to attention. “It’s Lady Marie, My Lord Count. Something must have happened at school today. She looks like a proper wet weekend, but she clammed right up when I asked her what was wrong. She doesn’t have a yellow slip, or anything like that, though, sir.”

The discipline advice slips were few and far between for Marie. She normally loved school. Mystified, Ivan stood up and stretched his aching back. He’d been sitting for far too long. “I’ll go talk to her. Where is she? In her room?”

Price nodded. “Ma McIver’s gone to fetch her a snack and said she’d try to find out what was wrong, but Lady Marie isn’t saying much. I thought you should know.”

“Damn right I should know. Thank you Price. Tell Ma McIvor to wait in the kitchen until I buzz. You, too, please. Oh, and don’t let those damned cats out of their run yet, either.”

Ivan took the stairs two at a time up to the family bedroom level. With Raine so busy with baby Padma he’d been extra careful to make sure Marie still got plenty of attention, but it must be hard for her to adjust to the new status quo. She adored her baby brother, and once she’d got over not being allowed to dress him head to toe in pink there’d been no other issues, or so he’d thought.

 _Perhaps not._ Once he walked into the bedroom and saw Marie sitting in the big chair hugging Steggie, saying not a word, he knew something was up. Just last week she’d told him she was too big for Steggie now.

“Hey, Princess, bad day at school? Do you want to tell me about it?” He held out his arms but she didn’t budge. Her lower lip trembled and he saw the glint of a tear in her eye. Seriously alarmed, he crossed the room in three strides. “I’ve had the worst day today, Marie. I really need a hug to cheer me up. Scoot over.”

He wiggled into the chair beside her. There wasn’t nearly the room there’d used to be in the story chair. This time last year they’d been able to sit side by side quite easily. Her scooped her up and sat her on his lap, saying nothing for a few moments until she relaxed and leaned in towards him. “You always make me feel better, Marie. Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

There was an audible sniff this time and her hand crept around his neck. “Honest?”

“Cross my heart. Why would you think otherwise?”

There was another long silence. Marie tensed again. “Zadira was mean today.”

“Zadira? Zadira Guseva? I thought you were friends. Didn’t you go to her birthday party last month? How did you fall out?”

Marie sniffed again and dragged the back of her hand across her nose. “She said I’m not a real Voralys and now you’ve got Padma you won’t need me any more. She said you only send your worst armsman to take me to school and that’s just because you have to.”

His grip tightened convulsively before he forced himself to relax. Hot anger sizzled. “She said _what_?”

The sniffs turned into full on sobs. “She said you won’t want me any more, just like her Da.”

Ma Guseva was a single mother, Ivan remembered, and Da Gusev had been seen at the school with his new wife and little boy. Zadira must be hurting, but how mean to take it out on her friends! He hugged Marie until her sobs subsided. Once he thought she could listen, he brushed the hair back out of her eyes.

“We’ve talked about this, honey, and we’ve talked about Padma, haven’t we? Padma is your baby brother and we have to spend a lot of time with him because he can’t do anything for himself yet, apart from drink and cry. Oh, and wee and poo. He can do lots of _that_.”

Marie cheered up marginally and smiled at him through the tears. “He weed all over you, Da, when you were going to go to Vorhartung Castle.”

“Well, that was my own silly fault. Fancy trying to change him with my second best house uniform on. It was a lot better than what he did to Papi Simon, don’t forget.”

Marie managed a giggle this time. “He had poo _everywhere_. He had to go and have a shower. Papi Simon said it was much better than the poo he used to find himself in, though. That must have been when he worked in the Vorbarr Sultana main sewer. He told me about that job when we went to Vandeville.”

That had been nearly two years previously, but obviously Marie hadn’t forgotten the lady in the frilly swimsuit. Ivan had managed to count to ten and thoughts of sending Harper and Walton to deal with Miss Guseva only simmered on the back boiler by the time Marie finished. “Yes, but that isn’t what we’re talking about. Are you _really_ sad because you think I don’t want you any more?”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

“And do you think Price takes you to school because he’s my worst armsman?”

“I don’t care if he’s your worst armsman. I love Price.”

“He loves you too, honey, and I can tell you right now I don’t have a worst armsman. They’re all good at different things. Price is very very good at cat wrangling. He’s the absolute best at that. He’s the best cat-wrangler armsman on the whole of Barrayar.”

Marie giggled again. “He is, isn’t he?”

Ivan devoutly hoped Marie would never find out what else Price was very very good at, or maybe… Hm, he’d have to think about that.

“Don’t worry about Price for now. We need to discuss what else Zadira said. Have you seen the piece of paper that says you’re a real Voralys? It’s in my study. It’s got the emperor’s seal on it. Come on, I’ll show you. Come with me.” He set Marie down on the floor and held out his hand. “We’ll just wash your face first.”

Marie wasn’t too big to cling on to his hand as he took her to the bathroom and on down the stairs to his study. The vellum warrant was filed in with her personal records.

“I know you read very well, but this formal script is a bit old fashioned. See here how it says your first Ma was Anna and your first Da was Thomas and your name was Watson? We keep that part in your name to remember and honour them, don’t we? And then it says Gregor Vorbarra, Emperor of Barrayar, Komarr and Sergyar hereby decrees that Marie Watson has become the adopted daughter of Count Ivan Xav Vorpatril Voralys and Countess Valeraine Amelie Vorfolse Voralys and is henceforth to be styled the Lady Marie Watson Voralys. Henceforth just means from now on. You know what this is, don’t you?”

She looked at the blob of wax impressed with Vorbarra arms. “That’s Uncle Gregor’s seal.”

“Exactly right, and that’s his signature. You think anybody is going to argue with Uncle Gregor? His armsmen are scarier than mine are. You, young lady, are a Voralys now and forever, signed and sealed. And that’s just the way I like it, and your Ma likes it, and Uncle Miles and Aunt Ekaterin like it, and Mami and Papi Simon, and Grandpa Wally and Grandma Aceline, and Uncle Byerly and Tetka Sela—”

“Stop, Da!”

“And Uncle Gregor and Aunt Laisa and Grand-tante Cordelia and Grand oncle Aral…”

Marie burst out laughing. She swatted at his arm. I understand, Da.”

He hunkered down to look directly into her eyes. “Zadira isn’t so lucky. Her Da left home and she’s very sad and scared, and that’s why she’s mean. Don’t let her upset you. No matter what she says, you know better. Right?”

Marie nodded. “Yes, Da.”

“And for the other, it’s sports day on Friday, isn’t it? Why don’t I send Price and Walton and Harper, and yes, we’ll send Fox along as well to give a little judo display and some lessons to anyone that wants them. I’ll talk to your Principal and arrange it. When Price slams Harper and Fox into the mat a couple of times Zadira might just get the idea he’s not my worst armsman. You have to tell me if he slams Walton, though, because Walton has always been my very very best judo armsman. Is that a deal?”

Wide-eyed, Marie nodded. “That would be really neat. Thanks, Da.”

Ivan straightened up again. “Come on, let’s go say hello to Padma and your Ma, and then Ma McIvor can bring you your snack. Isn’t Uncle Byerly coming later for your drawing lesson?”

She agreed. “He is, because if he comes at sixteen thirty he might get lucky and be invited to stay for tea and he can escape from Belpierre for an hour. He says Ma Belka’s prawn puffs are the best ever. He told me. I don’t think he really means he wants to escape from Belpierre, does he? Uncle Byerly is always joking.”

Ivan could only grin as he ruffled her hair. “He loves Belpierre very much, honey. You know what your Uncle Byerly is like, though. Come on, let’s go see who Padma pooed on today.”

The End


End file.
